Seven Devils
by Madam Sakamoto
Summary: They were her friends, her family, her marvelous little misfits. And she had missed them all so very much. With a debt to pay to a man from her past, and a lot to apologize for, her only hope is that they will welcome her back with open arms; these avenging angels, these dear, darling devils. - Sequel to "Rabbit Heart" -
1. Interlude: Seven Devils All Around Me

_Guess who's baaaaack~ :D_

* * *

The frozen landscape that surrounded them was unforgiving, snow swirling with ash from crumbling structures that once stood tall against the skyline. Everything was in shades of blue, from crystalline to midnight, and gave everything a cold, hard, unwelcoming feel. The couple was making their way through a deep ravine, out of the wind and away from most of the snow, headed further from the Frost Giant's hunting grounds and deeper into the wilds.

The girl stumbled, catching herself on a craggy wall of the ravine, the sudden movement forcing her into a coughing fit. Vibrant crimson splattered onto the white snow, the contrast so great it was almost hard to look at. Red, the color of life and passion, lost amid a swirling world of blue; a color to represent frigidity and lifelessness.

"Shall we rest?" The question was asked by the taller of the two, the leader, though he did not walk in front. It was the first question he had spoken since they had arrived, the words clipped.

"No." She bit back another coughing fit, wiping at her mouth and wishing the taste of copper would go away. It washed down her throat with every swallow, filled her mouth with every word spoken, the scent of it wafted into her nose with every breath taken. "We keep moving."

"Amy." The name was part question, part statement; the tone used leaving no room for argument. "You're no good to me dead."

From any other man, that comment would have sounded hard-hearted. From this one, it was almost a complement. "That implies I am of use now, Loki." The girl straightened, fighting back the urge to simply collapse on the spot. "Are you admitting you'd miss a mortal if they were gone?"

He sniffed, not deigning to reply verbally; instead merely moving past her, further along the ravine. He kept his stride short, so that she would be able to catch up once she could, but he refused to look back in order to check on her. It was foolish to feel anything for a Midgardian, for a girl like her, and yet… He cast her a quick glance over his shoulder, careful to do so in a way that she could not see. She was still slumped against the wall, breaths coming in short and shallow. He growled low in his throat, turning and striding back to her side. "_Imbecile_." He hissed, fingers spreading out wide as he caught her up in a shroud of green mist, his magic made tangible in order to carry her. "I told you, you are no good to me dead. Should you persist to over-exert yourself, this journey will have been for nothing."

She smiled weakly, watching carefully as he continued to move through the frigid landscape, towing her along like a life-sized marionette. "Yeah, yeah, I heard you." She grumbled, watching his shoulders stiffen slightly from her off-hand tone. "And I apologize for being such a burden."

The muscles in his jaw clenched as he shot her a sidelong glance, a soft snort his only reply. "Enough. Talking will only make you weaker."

She took the comment with a smile, relaxing against the surprisingly warm swirl of green that surrounded her. She made no verbal reply, but her smile was enough to earn her another snort as he turned his attention back to their path and what awaited them at the end of it.

To think, she would be the first Midgardian to see the heart of Jötunheim… She felt warmer just thinking about it.

* * *

_This. This whole thing, is thanks to you guys. All my lovely reviewers who asked for a sequel, and then patiently awaited the day I got my lazy hide in gear to actually do it. Thank you._

_And this part was actually written as another one-shot, and then I went "Wait a second..." and it turned into the Prelude for the sequel. XD_

_Stick around, even with school starting up, I plan to make this ride worth the wait! :D_

* * *

The Avengers _and all related characters belong to: _Marvel

Amy Liddell_ belongs to: _Madam Sakamoto

_Story title and all chapter titles are taken from the song_ "Seven Devils" _by_: Florence and the Machine


	2. Chapter One: Seven Devils in My House

_Here, have another chapter right off the bat. :3_

* * *

The workshop was blessedly quiet, except for Black Sabbath blasting into the wire-and-mechanisms space like angel song to the man sitting at a workbench with his head bent and his attention directed at his newest project. He turned to grab another tool from the table beside him, and caught sight of little blue light blinking by the elevator. The music quieted to a much more bearable level, and Tony rolled his eyes as the doors slid open smoothly and deposited the Captain into the workshop like some out-of-place Victrola in an Apple store.

"Tony, you need to—"

"The only thing I need to do is change the locks on my elevator." Tony snapped back, not in the mood for another lecture about conduct from their fearless leader. It had been a month since… _since her_. Since her '_goodbye_' that had been completely insufficient. And Captain Obvious hadn't let it go that Tony was down here more than he was out on patrol. Tony had explained it was a coping mechanism, but Steve hadn't taken that very well, so they were still at odds.

"It's Amy." Steve said softly, and Tony opened his mouth to argue why he was down here, but stopped when Steve finished his train of thought. "She's back."

Tony was out of his seat and halfway to the elevator before Steve could do more than blink, hurrying to follow him into the lift and head back up into civilization's waiting arms. "How long has she been back?"

"About two minutes." Steve sent him what would almost classify as a smug smile. "I made sure to come tell you as soon as I found out."

Tony blinked, genuinely touched that Steve would even consider coming in person, and somehow insulted that Jarvis hadn't warned him. He was pretty sure he looked like a mess, with oil smudged on his arms, and there was something sticky near his hairline if he wasn't too mistaken. He lifted the rag still in his hand and wiped at the substance, wondering if it was more oil, of something less… obvious.

He was feeling at least a little cleaner by the time the elevator doors opened, and he beat Steve out into the living room, making a bee-line for the girl currently hugging Barton like she hadn't seen him since they were in high school. He stopped three steps from them and simply stared at her.

She had grown, that was obvious, she was a bit taller now, and her hair was short; cut into one of those pixy-esque hairstyles the kids were wearing nowadays. It was still dirty blond, her eyes still blue, and when she released Barton and caught sight of Tony, he thought they both might start crying.

"Hey handsome." She whispered; grinning like the creature her hairstyle was named for. "You miss me?"

Tony prided himself on his self-control in that moment, because all he wanted to do was kiss her because _yes_ he had missed her, and _yes_ seeing her again was the best kind of present anyone could have given him and for the love of— "C'mere, you little imp." He grumbled, pulling her into a hug, crushing the breath out of her with the force. "Who wouldn't miss you, huh?"

She giggled, squirming a bit to get his arms to loosen, and returned the hug just as strongly. "Thought you might not have liked seeing me again, after the stunt I pulled last time…"

"You're back." He said firmly. "All previously-pulled stunts are now forgotten and forgiven. Simple as that." He released her slowly, as though afraid she might vanish as soon as she was out of his arms, but she stayed perfectly real, perfectly visible, and he decided that maybe this time things would go more smoothly— There were no demi-gods to read, no mayhem to get into, everything could be like it had been, once upon a time.

Everything could be alright again.

"Amelia!" Thor's voice ripped through the room like a lightning bolt, and the blond scooped her up before she could do more than smile his way. Tony backpedaled several paces, as Thor spun about with the telepath in his arms, earning himself a girlish shriek from his victim. "It is good to see you again." He said as he set her back down, face alight with a smile. "You will be staying, this time." It was less of a question, and more of a quiet reassurance, a look passing between the two of them silently before she smiled.

"I'm planning on it." Amy said, giving the hand still holding hers a gentle squeeze.

Tony, suddenly, desperately wanted to know what had been on Thor's goodbye video.

Thor grinned, nodding once in approval, and straightened up. "We should celebrate, now that you have returned."

"Oh, no, no, I don't want you to make a fuss…" Amy looked honestly horrified over the thought of being celebrated, and Tony wondered how many birthday parties the girl had had over the years.

"Nonsense!" Thor rumbled, smile positively _glowing_. "You are worth making a fuss over, Amelia. Besides, it has been some time since we had a day of rest… I believe we deserve the chance to have one."

Tony, who was all about partying for good (or at least not-bad) reasons, jumped on the wagon like it was a lifeline. "Sure, I mean, why not have a day to kick back and catch up?" He looked pointedly at Amy, and he knew she caught his meaning. "We haven't seen you in forever, the least you could do is tell us what you've been up to."

She gave him a rather nonplussed look, but sighed and hung her head in defeat. "Oh, alright." She mumbled, earning another cheer of success from the resident thunder god.

Tony grinned, herding everyone back into the living room proper, because he knew Steve hadn't had a chance to say hello to the new arrival (at least he doubted it, considering the looks the Captain kept sending her), and he felt it was his duty to ensure he could do so without interruptions. After all, Steve had given up his chance to do that in order to come get him from his lair, so it seemed only fair to repay him.

"It's good to have you back." Steve managed after a pause, not really looking at her. "What changed your mind?"

Amy gave him a rather guilty smile, feeling like possibly the worst person ever for having done what she had, the last time she had been in town. "I got a call from an old friend… He asked me for a favor, and I couldn't refuse."

"I take it Fury had nothing to do with this?" Steve guessed, knowing full well that Amy was just as fond of dancing on command as Tony.

"He let me come here." She tapped a foot to the ground beneath her. "Agreed to let me stay, but otherwise no. He had nothing to do with it." She watched the other Avengers all get comfy on the furniture in the living room, bickering over how to properly celebrate her coming home. "Captain, I feel I owe you an apology most of all."

"For what?" He gave his best Tony-esque shrug of uncaring. "You said your goodbyes, you found a new life, you chose to follow your own path… There's nothing wrong with that."

"But I shouldn't have." She replied, turning to look at him. "I shouldn't have been that selfish." Blue eyes met, and she gave him a sad smile. "I should have realized there are more important things in life than personal happiness. You needed me, and I wasn't here. You _wanted me_, and I turned my back on you. There's no excuse for behavior like that."

Steve dipped his gave to a point on the floor somewhere between the two of them. He remembered how terrified he had been when those eyes had shifted color, when they had learned it wasn't just Loki's memories she had stolen, but so much more. "You had your reasons."

"Steve." He looked back up at the summons, his resolve to not show how he felt nearly shattering when he saw her expression. "No personal reason is more important than my friends. You're my family now; you're all I have left. Running from you was…" She stopped, shaking her head. "I don't deserve your forgiveness."

Steve took the four or so steps that separated them in a flash, scooping her into a hug so he could let his heart do the talking. He was hurt and mad and so cut up inside that she hadn't thought she could trust them to keep her safe, keep her from having to bark on command for their Director, but then… Then he had been worried that she wouldn't be safe, wherever she was, that other people would use her and then let her drift off into darkness. And he was so _relieved_ that she was standing there now, fully intact and so apologetic that he wanted to cry. This wasn't about her leaving, he had forgiven her for that, this was about her having the courage to face them all again, when, for all she knew, they could have turned their backs on her just as she had. "No, you're right, you don't deserve it." Steve spoke finally, feeling her tears start soaking into his shirt. "But that's the beautiful thing about forgiveness… No one who gets it ever deserves it. That's the whole point."

She held onto him a little tighter, as though trying to use him to ground herself; to drag her emotions back in from where he had managed to make them spill out. "Thank you, Captain Rogers." She whispered finally, pulling away slowly and smiling up at him, wiping at her eyes.

"You're very welcome, Miss Liddell." He replied with a smile.

"Steve!" Tony was staring at the pair of them over the back of the sofa, his expression one of faux-surprise. "Are you making our Queen of Hearts _cry_? For shame!"

"Ugh, Tony!" Amy rounded on him, her expression and tone of voice back to normal. "You know just how to ruin the moment!"

He grinned brightly, winking at her. "I know, I know, but now that your moment has been utterly shot to pieces, could you get your cute hair over here and help us decide? We're down to Shawarma or Chinese, and the scales are perfectly balanced. We need a tie-breaker!"

Amy blinked at him, one eyebrow arching. "What's Shawarma?"

"That's it!" Tony cried, turning back to the group. "We're introducing her; I don't care what anyone else says. Her education is not complete until she knows about the delights of Shawarma."

Amy started laughing; ready to join the rest of them, but Steve stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"If I may… Who is this old friend who asked for a favor?" Steve asked, curious over who could have called her out of hiding so easily.

"Professor Charles Xavier." She replied promptly. "He's a mutant like me."

* * *

_Plot twiiiiist~_

_I bet you thought this was all gonna be with her and Loki, didn't you? XD_

_Well... Some of it will be, I promise. Story isn't a story till Loki walks in. ;D_

_Also; having looked up Shawarma to see how it is correctly spelled, it sounds friggin' _delicious_. I would totally go out for Shawarma with the Avengers.  
Then again, if you're going out to eat with the Avengers who cares what you're eating! XD_

_*feels another one-shot plot bunny coming on*  
Oh no, not again! D:_


	3. Interlude: Before the Day is Done

_(Insert clever explanation of flash-backy-ness here)_

* * *

Darkness was tugging at her mind, its cold fingers trying to rip her from the shell of flesh and bone and into a realm that she could not comprehend. It was vast, full of swirling shadows and voices that spoke in a language that she did not understand. She was floating along in the dark, without a way of knowing which way was up, or where she was going. She felt lost, alone, confused and scared…

"_Look at me! I told you; you're no good to me dead!"_

The voice is strong and hard, something tangible in the otherwise endless pit of shadows. She reaches for it, tries to hold it, but she cannot grasp a breath that sends out words. She cannot find what she is desperately fumbling for. Instead she finds cool leather and frigid metal, linen that is not quite warm, and what could be skin, if it were not so cold.

"_Yes, that's right. Listen when I'm speaking to you; pay attention. Your lesson isn't over yet, girl."_

She fumbles with the leather and metal and skin and finally finds the mouth whispering to her, demanding her attention. Lips move against her frigid fingers, and she wonders why she cannot see him when he is so close, close enough she can feel his heartbeat, hear his thoughts.

"_Fight it! If you want what I can show you then you must prove that you will not succumb to it first. Fight, Amelia, or you will die."_

Her hand slips from his lips and finds his pulse; thoughts thundering through her mind like a stampede of Bilgesnipe— wait.

Amy sat up with a soft scream, eyes wide and heart hammering. Sweat clung to her in frozen little droplets, dappled over her forehead and soaking into her clothing. "Oh, what the _hell_." She growled; her head beginning to pound. She was shivering in a cave, the walls deepest blue, as though… She snapped her head up with a wince, staring at the man who had been trying so desperately to drag her back to reality. "We're…"

"Trapped, yes." He gave her a disapproving look, as though it were her fault they were… Well, wherever they were.

Delicately, she put her first two fingers to his neck, the pulse throbbing beneath her fingers and telling her all she needed to know about their location. "Oh."

Loki's expression was calm, despite the apparently dire situation they were in, and he had tipped his head to give her more access to his neck. The shift from rigid refusal about allowing her access to an unspoken agreement had surprised the telepath, but she had accepted the olive branch without question; no matter how tiny of a thing it was. "Oh indeed." He replied softly, eyes catching the light from the meager fire near them and dancing. "Are you able to walk?"

Only a God of Mischief could make that sound like an insult, Amy decided. Frowning faintly and using his shoulder as leverage to propel herself up onto her legs. Her knees were shaking a little, nothing more than a tremor when she stood still, hardly noticeable. "I'm fine."

"Then you should be able to use magic." Loki responded calmly, not looking at her. "Try something."

"Like what?" She asked, turning to look at him. He hadn't taught her a single spell, hadn't even mentioned such a thing.

He cast his eyes upward for a moment, as though begging Odin for patience while he dealt with such a stupid human. "Magic is controlled by will. Will yourself to do something."

"But what…?"

"Anything!" He snapped, glaring at her. "Make a decision and act upon it, do not expect me to coddle you through this."

Her jaw clenched, her hands balled into fists, and when she next spoke it was his voice she heard falling from her lips. "I do not expect to be coddled, _half-breed_."

The look he gave her could have frozen the Sahara _sun_, it was so cold, but the twitch in his lips gave away his approval of her talent. "Were you wearing any other face, I would strike you for such a slur." He commented softly, and she knew he meant it. "But as it is, it would not do to hit myself, regardless of the remark." His gaze changed, flickering from murderous to appraising in an instant. "Well played, girl."

* * *

_There will be more of these, where the story from before gets filled out some!  
_

_Though, I promise not to post two of these one after the other. That would just be mean._


End file.
